1. Technical Field
This document relates to devices and methods for processing elongate generally cylindrical food products. For example, this document relates to devices and methods for longitudinally cutting sausages, and to the sausages thereby cut.
2. Background Information
Whether they are known as sausages, hot dogs, frankfurters, franks, wieners, wienies, brats, red-hots, tube-steaks, links, or something else, the ubiquitous cylindrical meat product generally known as the sausage is beloved the world over. According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, an estimated 20 billion hot dogs are consumed each year in the United States. That works out to about 60 hot dogs per person each year. On Independence Day alone, Americans will enjoy 150 million hot dogs—enough to stretch from Washington D.C. to Los Angeles over five times. Hot dogs are served in 95 percent of homes in the United States. About 15% of hot dogs are purchased from street vendors, and about 9% are purchased at ballparks.